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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rule — a law
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. toast — bread
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rule — government
  14. bark — to shout
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. stand — to bear
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. date — the fruit
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com